Japan Airlines reports Boeing 787 battery malfunction

Cause isn’t determined for smoke seen at parked jet in Tokyo

JonOstrower and Phred Dvorak

Japan Airlines Co. reported a battery malfunction on a Boeing Co. Dreamliner parked at Narita Airport in Tokyo, a year after the advanced jetliner was grounded worldwide for battery problems.

JAL
9201, +1.24%
said white smoke was detected Tuesday at around 4:15 p.m. Tokyo time by a mechanic who was checking the cockpit before the plane was to depart for Bangkok that evening. The mechanic saw the smoke just outside the window and it was gone by the time the person went outside to check.

Boeing

A check of cockpit displays soon after showed signs of problems in the main battery and its charger, JAL said. When the battery was checked, the mechanic found that a relief port had vented on one of the eight lithium-ion cells that are contained in each battery and that liquid had sprayed inside the battery container.

JAL and Boeing
BA, -0.24%
said they were looking into the cause of the incident. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was working with Boeing and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to investigate. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was ready to assist Japanese authorities.

Boeing said it had notified other airlines that operate the 787 but hadn’t advised them to take any action. Other carriers, including United Continental Holdings Inc., UAL +4.82% the only U.S. operator of the aircraft, continued to fly their Dreamliners on Tuesday.

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